Ischico



The Dutch-Indian pianist Ischico Velzel is a musical explorer who gives classical music a contemporary twist by blending her own works with folk music, jazz, and improvisation. She creates a direct connection with her audience and brings hidden gems from the piano repertoire to light. Her adventurous approach merges genres and art forms, making her performances unique. Critics praise her expressive playing and fluid technique.
28th of March
Kleurstof is my debut album, where classical works and my own music come together. For me, music is a way to bring color to life—each track has its own shade. From the folk tales of Levina and Chebotarian to the rhythmic energy of Babadjanian and my own pieces, inspired by places and moments that shape me. Just as dye transforms water, I hope this music adds new colors to the listener’s world.
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Biography
Dutch-Indian pianist Ischico is a musical explorer who creates direct connections with her audiences through every performance. Her adventurous spirit leads her to discover hidden treasures in the piano repertoire, while her original pieces and improvisations weave together classical traditions with folk music and jazz influences. Critics praise her playing as 'efortlessly expressive' and 'technically extremely fluent.'
Drawing inspiration from diverse artists like Tigran Hamasyan, Zara Levina, Nitai Hershkovits, Ethan Gruska, and Spinvis, Ischico moves fluidly between musical worlds. A natural collaborator, she brings classical music into dialogue with other art forms, working with visual artists, dancers, and theater makers. Her curiosity for undiscovered musical gems earned her first prize in the Lamond Prize with Medtner's Sonata-Skazka.
She has performed on prestigious international stages, including Amsterdam's Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, and her performances have been featured on (inter)national radio stations, including NPO Klassiek and SBS Australia. Ischico regularly performs abroad, with performances in Dublin, London, Glasgow, and Barcelona, and has been part of several festivals, such as the Grachtenfestival and the Glasgow Piano Festival.
Ischico was classically trained in piano performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Barcelona's Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu and has participated in masterclasses by Dmitri Alexeev, Jacques Rouvier, and Hortense Cartier-Bresson. She has also received financial support from VSBFonds, Amarte Fonds, AFK, Heij Konijn Fonds, and Ars Donandi.
In addition to her love of making music, Ischico enjoys cooking, hiking with her friends during summer, and listening to all sorts of music while doing so. The simplicity of daily life and connection to the people around her inspires her music making in return.

calendar
2023
11 of and 12th of January
Soirée Dada
https://dadahaarlem.com/de-soiree/
18th of February
De Muziekfabriek
NPO Klassiek
8th-17th of March
Schiermonnikoog Festival
12th of March
Solo-recital
Cultuurcentrum Jan van Besouw, Goirle
8th of April
Premiére Pianokwintet 'Tragico' van componist Teun van der Steeg
De Wingerd, Doetinchem
14th of April
Tableaux Pianoduo Recital
Velp
16th of April
Tableaux Pianoduo recital
't Mosterdzaadje, Santpoort Noord
13th of May
Amsterdam Piano Sessions
NDSM treehouse
22nd of May
Recital and masterclasses
Revius Lyceum, Doorn
7th of July
Solo Recital
Sandford Church, Dublin
11th of September
Concert voor S.E.M.
Museum Voorlinden
29th of September 12:00
Solo recital
Waalse kerk, Breda
15th of October
Solo Concert
De Verzameling, Westervoort
5th of November
Solo Recital
Theaterhuis Amalia, Oegstgeest
15th of December
Recital with Cathal Killeen
Live at our Place, NDSM Treehouse
16th of December
Recital with Cathal Killeen (clarinet)
De Kapel, Hilversum
2024
14th of January
Solo Recital
't Mosterdzaadje
21st of January
Solo Recital
Theaterhuis Amalia, Oegstgeest
16-27 maart
Artist in Residence at Huis A. Kraak
Album development + concerts
7th of April
Solo Recital
Vrienden Nicolaaskerk, Wijhe
11th of April
Private concert
Nijmegen
14th of April
Presentation of residency concert
Huis A. Kraak, Laren
21st of April
Recital with Santiago Luruena
't Mosterdzaadje
12th of May
Amsterdam Piano Sessions
'Treehouse NDSM
https://allevents.in/mobile/amp-event.php?event_id=10000887573745967
16th of May
Solo recital
Opus Amsterdam, Westerdok
23rd of May
Solo Recital
St Ann's, Dublin
24th of May
Solo Recital
Sandford Parish, Dublin
3-7th of June
Album recordings with 7 Mountain Records
Westvestkerk
18th of June
With Florianne Remme
Recital for Grachtenfestival
Private recital
30th of June
Mini Summer Festival
Huis A. Kraak
27th of August
Grachtenfestival
Amsterdam
28th of September
Solo Recital
De Kapel, Hilversum
23 november
Recital at Kunstmaand Ameland with Florianne Remme
https://www.kunstmaandameland.com/evenement/ischico-en-florianne-op-vleugel-en-cello/?
7th of December
Solo Recital
St. John's Kirk, Perth, Scotland
2025
22th of February
Recital with clarinetist Santiago Lurueña
't Mosterdzaadje
13th of April
Recital at van Cappellenhuis
https://vancappellenhuis.stager.co/web/tickets
30th of May
Solo Recital
St. Andrew's Church, Ottawa, Canada
5th of October
Recital
Buitengewoon Klassiek, Theater de Bussel
The Tableaux Pianoduo was founded in 2020 and consists of the young Scottish/Dutch pianist Anna Michels and Ischico Velzel.
The duo enjoys performing adventurous and exciting repertoire and frequently includes improvisation in their concerts.
Recent performances include the Piano Festival in Glasgow, The Pianoduo Festival in Amsterdam and a recital in de Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague.
Anna Michels enjoys a multi-faceted career as a soloist, chamber musician and lecturer. She has been awarded several international prizes for her musicianship and is a recipient of the Cross Trust.
''There was an excellent balance between the pianos, and the phrasing was so well crafted and had a natural elegance to it that was very appealing''
Santiago Lurueña and Ischico have a repertoire full of surprising and contrasting works from neo-classicist Poulenc to neo-romantic Castelnuovo-Tedesco.
Born in Salamanca in 1994, Santiago studied at the Badajoz Conservatory of Music and earned a Master’s Degree at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen. He's performed with prestigious orchestras, enjoys exploring jazz and Klezmer music, and is actively engaged in chamber music with the Phasma Trio and Ischico.
Duo Echo
Soprano Elizaveta Agrafenina and pianist Ischico Velzel met in Amsterdam. They soon discovered their unique musical taste connected them and so Duo Echo was formed.
The duo focuses on unique repertoire from the Netherlands, Spain and Russia.
Works by female composers, e.a. H. Bosmans, A. de Larrocha and E. Kuypers, hold a significant place in their programs.
Elizaveta is a part of the Young Artist Program at Bergen National Opera in Norway and has since 2017 sung in several productions, such as Werther by Massenet and La Clemenza di Tito by Mozart.

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